The present invention relates to a cyclic sewing machine, and more particularly to a cyclic sewing machine which is capable of sewing bar tacks or the like on a work piece with a certain number of stitches. In a conventional cyclic sewing machine of the type such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,477, a cam disc for generating stitch patterns has to be replaced with a new disc upon rotating bar tacks through 90 degrees.